Cell board interconnection architecture

ABSTRACT

According to at least one embodiment, a cell board interconnection architecture comprises an interconnection structure for interconnecting a plurality of cell boards, the interconnection structure configured to allow air to pass therethrough in a direction in which the cell boards couple therewith.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 60/553,386 entitled “Cell Board Interconnection Architecture”,filed Mar. 16, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Cell boards are the building blocks for multi-processor computersystems. Cell boards may include such components as processor(s),memory, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and/orinput/output (I/O) components. For instance, processor boards, memoryboards, and I/O boards may be arranged in a system to form a desiredconfiguration. Further, a single cell board may include a plurality ofdifferent types of components. For example, a cell board may include oneor more processors, ASIC(s), memory subsystem, and in some cases a powersubsystem.

The most common method of interfacing cell boards in a computer systemis to provide each cell board with a bus connector and to plug each cellboard's bus connector into a matching socket or “slot” mounted to abackplane or motherboard. In general, a backplane provides acommunicative interconnection for a plurality of cell boards that arecoupled to the backplane. The backplane itself is typically a circuitcard that contains sockets to which other cell boards (or “circuitcards”) can be connected. Backplanes may be either active or passive.Active backplanes typically contain, in addition to the sockets, logicalcircuitry that performs computing functions. In contrast, passivebackplanes contain almost no computing circuitry. When multiple cellboards are connected to a single backplane, the resulting arrangement isoften referred to as a cabinet (or “card cage”). In higher-end computersystems of this type, cell boards may be removed and replaced in thecabinet without powering down the backplane or any of the slots exceptthe one corresponding to the cell board being replaced. Thus, suchcabinets are often implemented for so-called high-availability systems.An example of cell boards and their arrangement in a cabinet isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,452,789 titled “PACKAGING ARCHITECTURE FOR32 PROCESSOR SERVER,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

Traditionally, backplanes are implemented as solid structures. Forinstance, backplanes are typically solid structures that are relativelydensely populated with traces and cabling for interconnecting the cellboards coupled thereto. For example, traditional backplanes aregenerally arranged as a two-dimensional (“2D”) plane (e.g., commonlysized approximately 30 inches by 20 inches) to which cell boards couple,and the 2D plane of the backplane interconnects the cell boards coupledthereto. Traditional backplane designs may have several (e.g., 10)routing layers inside the board, wherein each routing layer comprisestraces for interconnecting the cell boards that are coupled to thebackplane.

In high-end computing systems, a relatively large number of cell boardsmay be interconnected within cabinet(s). For example, the Superdome™server available from Hewlett-Packard Company (“HP”) is available as a16-way, 32-way, or 64-way server. The 16-way implementation may comprisefour cell boards interconnected via a backplane within a cabinet,wherein each cell board may include four central processing units(“CPUs”) for a total of 16 CPUs, and the cell boards may comprise memory(e.g., dual in-line memory modules (“DIMMs”)) implemented thereon for atotal of 64 gigabytes (“GB”) of memory available in the 16-wayimplementation. The 32-way implementation may comprise eight cell boardsinterconnected via a backplane within a cabinet, wherein each cell boardmay include four CPUs for a total of 32 CPUs, and the cell boards maycomprise memory (e.g., DIMMs) implemented thereon for a total of 128 GBof memory available in the 32-way implementation. The 64-wayimplementation may comprise sixteen cell boards interconnected via abackplane within a cabinet, wherein each cell board may include fourCPUs for a total of 64 CPUs, and the cell boards may comprise memory(e.g., DIMMs) implemented thereon for a total of 256 GB of memoryavailable in the 32-way implementation. Further, as a greater number ofcell boards is desired, multiple cabinets that each comprise multiplecell boards may be coupled together to form a high-end server.

Competing design considerations are often encountered when developingsuch multi-processor computer systems. One design consideration commonlyencountered involves cooling the components within the cabinet(s).Because of the heat generated by the components, some type of coolingsystem is typically included for cooling the components to preventoverheating and resulting improper or failed operation. Becausetraditional backplanes are solid structures, as described above, coolingsystems typically generate air flow in a direction parallel to thebackplane (e.g., bottom-to-top air flow). One technique for implementingbottom-to-top air flow is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,452,789 titled“PACKAGING ARCHITECTURE FOR 32 PROCESSOR SERVER.” Traditionalimplementations of bottom-to-top air flow (or “front-to-top” air flow,as air may be ingested through the front of the cabinet and re-directedvia blowers toward the top of the cabinet) is not optimal for severalreasons. First, blowers are typically required for directing the airflow upward, which consume a relatively large amount of space in thecabinets (thus diminishing the space-efficiency of the architecture).Further, as the air moves upward through the cabinet, the air is heatedby each cell board that it encounters, thus diminishing the affect ofthe air in cooling the upper cell board(s). To ensure proper cooling ofthe upper cell boards, increased air flow is needed, which means thatthe size of the blowers implemented for generating such increased airflow is undesirably large (and may be undesirably noisy in somearchitectures).

Another design consideration often encountered in multi-processorcomputer systems is a desire for an architecture that enables cellboards to be accessed for service (e.g., by a technician). For instance,a cell board may be removable (e.g., hot swappable) from a cabinet forreplacing or repairing the cell board. Service access has traditionallybeen in a direction orthogonal to the system's backplane. For instance,a cell board generally connects orthogonally to a backplane, and suchcell board may be connected or removed from the front of a cabinet bymoving the cell board in a direction orthogonal to the backplane. Thus,the service access and the air flow are orthogonal to each other intraditional multi-processor computer systems.

SUMMARY

According to at least one embodiment, a cell board interconnectionarchitecture comprises an interconnection structure for interconnectinga plurality of cell boards, the interconnection structure configured toallow air to pass therethrough in a direction in which the cell boardscouple therewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an example of one embodiment of a cell boardinterconnection architecture;

FIG. 2A shows an example configuration of a cell board that may be usedin a first example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture;

FIG. 2B shows another example configuration of a cell board that may beused in the first example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture;

FIG. 3A shows an example implementation of an interconnection card thatmay be used in the first example embodiment of a cell boardinterconnection architecture;

FIG. 3B shows an example implementation of a switch card that may beused in the first example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture;

FIG. 4 shows an example unit that includes cell boards of FIG. 2Binterconnected with the interconnection card of FIG. 3A and switch cardof FIG. 3B in accordance with the first example embodiment of a cellboard interconnection architecture;

FIGS. 5A-5B show a plurality of the units of FIG. 4 interconnected toform a cabinet in accordance with the first example embodiment of a cellboard interconnection architecture;

FIG. 6 shows an example of a plurality of interconnection cards of FIG.3A being interconnected in accordance with the first example embodimentof a cell board interconnection architecture;

FIG. 7 shows an example configuration of a cell board that may be usedin a second example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture;

FIGS. 8A-8B show an example implementation of an interconnectionstructure that may be used in the second example embodiment of a cellboard interconnection architecture;

FIG. 9 shows an example implementation of a switch card that may be usedin the second example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture;

FIG. 10A shows a cell board of FIG. 7 coupled to the interconnectionstructure of FIGS. 8A-8B in accordance with the second exampleembodiment of a cell board interconnection architecture;

FIG. 10B shows an example unit that is formed by combining a pluralityof the cell boards of FIG. 7 interconnected via a plurality of theinterconnection structures of FIGS. 8A-8B and a plurality of the switchcards of FIG. 9 in accordance with the second example embodiment of acell board interconnection architecture;

FIG. 10C shows the backside of the example unit of FIG. 10B;

FIG. 10D shows the example unit of FIG. 10B arranged within a cabinet;

FIG. 11 shows a third example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture in which a first set of cell boards are coupled to a firstinterconnection structure (of FIGS. 8A-8B) that is coupled to a firstside of switch cards (of FIG. 9) and a second set of cell boards arecoupled to a second interconnection structure (of FIGS. 8A-8B) that iscoupled to an opposite side of the switch cards;

FIGS. 12A-12B show an example implementation of an interconnectionstructure that may be used in a fourth example embodiment of a cellboard interconnection architecture;

FIG. 13 shows an example configuration of a cell board that may be usedin the fourth example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture;

FIGS. 14A-14C show an example unit that is formed by combining aplurality of the cell boards of FIG. 13 interconnected via aninterconnection structure of FIGS. 12A-12B in accordance with the fourthexample embodiment of a cell board interconnection architecture;

FIG. 15 shows an example unit that is formed by interconnecting aplurality of the units of FIGS. 14A-14C via switch cards in accordancewith the fourth example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture;

FIG. 16 shows an example cabinet that is formed by interconnecting aplurality of the units of FIG. 15 in accordance with the fourth exampleembodiment of a cell board interconnection architecture;

FIG. 17 shows an example configuration of a cell board that may be usedin a fifth example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture;

FIGS. 18A-18B show an example implementation of an interconnectionstructure that may be used in the fifth example embodiment of a cellboard interconnection architecture;

FIGS. 19A-19C show an example implementation of a switch card that maybe used in the fifth example embodiment of a cell board interconnectionarchitecture;

FIG. 20 shows an example unit that is formed by combining a plurality ofthe cell boards of FIG. 17 interconnected via a plurality of theinterconnection structures of FIGS. 18A-18B and a plurality of theswitch cards of FIGS. 19A-19C in accordance with the fifth exampleembodiment of a cell board interconnection architecture;

FIG. 21A shows an example 3D interconnection architecture in accordancewith certain embodiments;

FIG. 21B shows another example 3D interconnection architecture inaccordance with certain embodiments;

FIG. 21C shows another example 3D interconnection architecture inaccordance with certain embodiments;

FIG. 22 shows an example of utilizing the example architecture of FIG.21 A for interconnecting a plurality of cell boards;

FIG. 23 shows an example of utilizing the example architecture of FIG.21B for interconnecting a plurality of cell boards;

FIG. 24 shows an example of utilizing the example architecture of FIG.21C for interconnecting a plurality of cell boards;

FIG. 25 shows an example cabinet having a plurality of cell boardscommunicatively interconnected with 3D interconnection architectureswherein each cell board is communicatively coupled to a plurality ofdifferent switch cards; and

FIG. 26 shows another example cabinet having a plurality of cell boardscommunicatively interconnected with 3D interconnection architectureswherein each cell board is communicatively coupled to a plurality ofdifferent switch cards.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of a cell board interconnection architecture are nowdescribed with reference to the above figures, wherein like referencenumerals represent like parts throughout the several views. As describedfurther below, such embodiments provide an interconnection architecturefor interconnecting a plurality of cell boards. As opposed to the planarinterconnection structure of traditional backplanes, certain embodimentsdescribed herein provide a three-dimensional (“3D”) interconnectionstructure or interconnection “volume.” This advantageously allows forgreater routing opportunity than the 2D backplanes traditionally usedfor interconnecting cell boards. For example, in certain embodiments theinterconnection structure for communicatively interconnecting aplurality of cell boards has a first plane for routing information in atleast a first dimension. The interconnection structure further has asecond plane that is orthogonal to the first plane for routinginformation in at least a second dimension that is different from thefirst dimension. For example, in certain embodiments, a first plane isdefined by porous structure or a partial backplane or partial midplane,and a second plane is defined by one or more switches that are coupledto the first plane. In some embodiments the first plane is merely apass-through plane for passing information to the second plane (e.g.,switches). For instance, the first plane may pass information along onedimension from a cell board to a second plane (e.g., switch), and thesecond plane may pass the information along another dimension to anothercell board. Such a 3D interconnection structure may advantageouslyprovide much routing opportunity without sacrificing efficiency and/orcompactness of the structure. Various examples of such 3Dinterconnection structures are described further below.

As also described below, certain embodiments provide an interconnectionstructure that advantageously enables air to flow through suchstructure. In some embodiments, for instance, front-to-back air flow maybe used for cooling the components of the cell boards, whereby theinterconnection structure does not prohibit such front-to-back air flow.Thus, a mechanism, such as a fan or blower, may be implemented togenerate a flow of air directed toward the interconnection structure(e.g., front-to-back air flow), and the interconnection structurepermits the generated air flow to pass through it. Service access mayalso be front-to-back, and thus the air flow and service access may beparallel to each other.

In certain embodiments, an interconnection structure is formed by aplurality of interconnection cards, and an architecture is provided inwhich each of a plurality of cell boards is coupled to multiple ones ofthe interconnection cards. In some embodiments, the cell boards andinterconnection cards may be arranged in a grid (or matrix)-like mannerwith periodic apertures available through such grid for air to flowthrough for cooling the cell boards' components. Other features ofembodiments of a cell board interconnection architecture are describedfurther below.

In designing a cell board cabinet architecture, various conflictingergonomic considerations are encountered. For instance, it is generallydesirable for the cabinet architecture to provide at least the followingfeatures: 1) front access to cell boards (e.g., for ease of access tothe cell boards for service), 2) appropriate air flow for cooling thecell boards, and 3) optimum utilization of space by providing a denselypopulated arrangement of cell boards in a space-efficient architecture.Front access to cell boards is becoming a feature commonly desired inthe industry. Such front access to cell boards enables cabinets to bearranged side-by-side, thus allowing for a space-efficient, compactarrangement of the cabinets, while also allowing the cell boards to beeasily serviced by a technician by accessing the cell boards from thefront (e.g., by coupling and decoupling the cell boards from the frontof the cabinet).

Air flow is a problematic design consideration in traditionalarchitectures. Industry standards are developing that dictate that airflow should be front-to-back or front-to-top. For example, standards ofthe American Society for Heating and Refrigeration Air ConditioningEngineering are emerging that dictate that computers are to havefront-to-back or front-to-top cooling. These standards are emerging inan attempt to provide a common air flow for computers so that they canbe arranged in a manner such that the computers do not ingest eachothers' exhaust. That is, by specifying where the exhaust (exiting airflow) is to be on computers, users can decide on an arrangement of theircomputers such that they do not ingest each others' exhaust. Forinstance, with front-to-back or front-to-top air flow, computers (orcabinets) may be arranged side-by-side without one computer ingestingthe exhaust of another computer. Front-to-back air flow has not been anoption in traditional architectures because, as described above, a solidbackplane is typically implemented at the back of the cabinet forinterconnecting the cell boards, which prevents the flow of air throughthe back of the cabinet.

Embodiments provided herein enable an architecture in which a pluralityof cell boards are interconnected without requiring a solid backplane.Rather, in certain embodiments, a porous backplane is implemented suchthat front-to-back air flow may be utilized within the architecture.Various architectures are provided that enable interconnection of aplurality of cell boards such that the interconnection does not prohibit(e.g., is transparent to) front-to-back air flow through thearchitecture. More specifically, in certain embodiments aninterconnection structure is provided for interconnecting a plurality ofcell boards, wherein air flow is generated in a direction toward theinterconnection structure and is permitted to pass through theinterconnection structure.

Certain embodiments provide an architecture in which the cell boards andinterconnection structure are arranged such that they each provide theleast resistance to front-to-back air flow. For instance, they arearranged such that they have the smallest amount of surface area facingthe front of the architecture to minimize the amount of surface areathat produces resistance to front-to-back air flow. For example,traditional backplanes are oriented such that they have a large surfaceexposed to the front of the architecture, wherein cell boards connectinto connectors arranged on the front-facing surface of the backplane.Generally, the width and height of a backplane provides a plane having amuch larger surface area than the plane formed by the thickness andheight (or the plane formed by the thickness and width). Thus, if atraditional backplane were rotated by 90 degrees and enabled the cellboards to connect to it along the plane formed by its thickness andheight (or its thickness and width), the backplane would present muchless resistance to front-to-back air flow because it would have asmaller surface area facing the front of the architecture.

In certain embodiments, a plurality of cell boards are arranged in afirst orientation and a plurality of interconnect cards are arranged ina second orientation that is orthogonal to the orientation of the cellboards, and each cell board couples to multiple ones of the plurality ofinterconnect cards. Such arrangement may be implemented to provide a 3Dinterconnection architecture that allows for greater routing opportunityfor the total size of the architecture. Again, the cell boards and theinterconnect cards may each be arranged to allow for front-to-back airflow. For instance, the plane of each cell board's surface having thesmallest surface area for blocking front-to-back air flow (e.g.,typically the plane formed by the cell board's thickness and height orits thickness and width) is arranged facing the front of the cabinet.Likewise, the plane of each interconnect card's surface having thesmallest surface area for blocking front-to-back air flow (e.g.,typically the plane formed by the interconnect card's thickness andheight or its thickness and width) is arranged facing the front of thecabinet. As described further below, certain embodiments also allow foraccess to the cell boards (e.g., for servicing, such as removing and/orreplacing the cell boards) via the front of the cabinet. Thus, air flowand access to the cell boards may be performed in a common direction(i.e., from the front of the cabinet) in certain embodiments.

As described further below, certain embodiments implement some of therouting responsibility that is traditionally included on backplanes toother structures (e.g., to the cell boards and/or to switch cards), thusenabling the overall size of an interconnection structure to be reducedto allow for porous areas through which air can flow through theinterconnection structure and/or enabling short routing distances ofsignals for improving signal integrity. For instance, in someembodiments, routing of information along one dimension (e.g.,horizontal routing) is provided by the interconnection structure, androuting of information along another dimension (e.g., vertical routing)is provided by switch cards coupled to the interconnection structure. Inother embodiments, routing of information along one dimension (e.g.,vertical routing) is provided by the interconnection structure, androuting of information along another dimension (e.g., horizontalrouting) is provided by the cell boards coupled to the interconnectionstructure. In still another example embodiment, routing of informationalong one dimension (e.g., vertical routing) is provided by switch cardscoupled to the interconnection structure, and routing of informationalong another dimension (e.g., horizontal routing) is provided by thecell boards coupled to the interconnection structure.

Further, certain embodiments provide an architecture that is modular.That is, the architecture can be readily expanded by combining separateunits together. For instance, a “unit” (which may be formed via one ormore interconnected cell boards) may comprise 4 processors, and tocreate a mid-range server that has 8 processors two of the units may becoupled (e.g., stacked) together. A 16-way or 32-way server may besimilarly created by continuing to add additional units onto the overallstructure. Thus, the architecture enables a manufacturer to readilyutilize the architecture in its development of larger-scale systems,rather than requiring a separate architecture for each system.Accordingly, time, effort, and cost associated with producinglarger-scale systems may be reduced.

FIG. 1 shows an example of one embodiment of a 3D cell boardinterconnection architecture. As shown, architecture 100 comprises aplurality of cell boards 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D that arecommunicatively interconnected via an interconnection structure thatcomprises a plurality of interconnection boards 101A, 101B, 101C, and101D. In this example, cell boards 102A-102D are arranged horizontallybeing parallel with the plane formed by the X and Z axes shown. Theinterconnection boards 101A-101D are arranged orthogonal to cell boards102A-102D. That is, interconnection boards 101A-101D are arrangedvertically being parallel with the plane formed by the Y and Z axesshown. It should be recognized that this embodiment enablesfront-to-back air flow (along the Z axis), as shown by the arrows inFIG. 1. That is, architecture 100 provides a porous interconnectionstructure, rather than a solid backplane.

As mentioned above, in certain embodiments the horizontal routing ofinformation may be performed along the cell boards 102A-102D, andvertical routing may be performed along the interconnection cards101A-101D. Thus, the amount of routing provided by the interconnectioncards may be less than traditionally provided by a backplane, therebyenabling reduction in the size and amount of complexity required on theinterconnection cards. For example, a cell board, such as cell board102A, may comprise a plurality of processors and other components, suchas memory, ASICs, etc., and such horizontal routing between componentson a cell board may be performed, in certain embodiments, by the cellboard itself. The vertical routing from one cell board to another cellboard may be performed by an interconnection card.

While FIG. 1 shows one example embodiment, various other architecturesmay be implemented to enable front-to-back air flow and other desirablefeatures, such as front access, compact design, etc. For instance, oneembodiment is described further below in conjunction with FIGS. 2A-6,another embodiment is described further below in conjunction with FIGS.7-10D, another embodiment is described further below in conjunction withFIG. 11, another embodiment is described further below in conjunctionwith FIGS. 12A-16, and another embodiment is described further below inconjunction with FIGS. 17-20. Further example embodiments are describedbelow in conjunction with FIGS. 21A-26. It should be recognized thatwhile the example embodiments are described independently below, variousfeatures of each embodiment may be implemented as described in adifferent embodiment (e.g., a cell board or interconnection structure ofone embodiment may be implemented in another embodiment). That is,various features described with each embodiment may be interchanged toresult in many other embodiments. Further, the scope of the presentinvention is not intended to be limited to the example embodiments shownand described herein, but rather the embodiments are intended solely asexamples that render the disclosure enabling for many otherimplementations of the invention defined by the claims appended hereto.

Turning to FIGS. 2A-6, an example embodiment of a cell boardinterconnection architecture is shown. FIG. 2A shows an example cellboard 201 that comprises components 203A, 203B, 203C, 204A, 204B, 205,and 206 implemented thereon. More specifically, in this exampleconfiguration cell board 201 comprises processor 206 and memory (e.g.,DIMM) 203A-203C. While one processor 206 is shown in this example, aplurality of such processors may be included on cell board 201 in otherconfigurations. Cell board 201 also includes heat sinks 205 in thisexample. Cell board 201 further includes ASICs 204A-204B (which areshown as being implemented with heat sinks thereon). Such ASICs204A-204B may, for example, include controller chips for managingcommunications between components on cell board 201. Cell board 201further includes connectors 202A, 202B, 202C, and 202D, which in thisexample configuration are well-known orthogonal connectors, such as the“X-Vector HS High Speed Midplane for Cross-Connection” connectoravailable from Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited (“JAE”).

FIG. 2B shows an alternative example cell board 221 that may beimplemented, which comprises components 223A, 223B, 223C, 224A, 224B,225, and 226 implemented thereon. More specifically, in this exampleconfiguration cell board 221 comprises processor 226 and memory (e.g.,DIMM) 223A-223C. While one processor 226 is shown in this example, aplurality of such processors may be included on cell board 221 in otherconfigurations. Cell board 221 also includes heat sinks 225 in thisexample. Cell board 221 further includes ASICs 224A-224B (which areshown as being implemented with heat sinks thereon). Such ASICs224A-224B may, for example, include controller chips for managingcommunications between components on cell board 221.

Thus, cell board 221 comprises the same components as described abovewith cell board 201 of FIG. 2, but such components are arrangeddifferently. Cell board 221 of FIG. 2B also comprises connectors 222A,222B, 222C, and 222D, which correspond to connectors 202A, 202B, 202C,and 202D of cell board 201 described above with FIG. 2A. The componentsare arranged differently in the example configuration of FIG. 2A thantheir arrangement on the example cell board 201 of FIG. 2A, but itshould be recognized that either arrangement of components permitsfront-to-back air flow in the manner described more fully below. Forinstance, in the example implementations of FIGS. 2A and 2B, eachcomponent is arranged such that it provides the least amount of surfacearea in the path of the front-to-back air flow (e.g., in the path of airflow directed toward the interconnection structure described below).Thus, the components are arranged to minimize the amount of resistancethat they provide to front-to-back air flow.

FIG. 3A shows an example implementation of an interconnection card 301.Interconnection card 301 comprises connectors 302A-302H that are eachcapable of coupling with a connector of a cell board, such as one ofconnectors 202A-202D of cell board 201 of FIG. 2A or one of connectors222A-222D of circuit card 221 of FIG. 2B. Interconnection card 301 alsocomprises connectors 303A-303F that enable interconnection with aplurality of other interconnection cards 301 (not shown) within acabinet. Thus, connectors 303A-303F are fabric connectors for a cabinet,as described below with FIG. 6. Interconnection card 301 also comprisesconnector 304 for coupling to a switch, such as switch card 351 of FIG.3B.

In certain implementations interconnection cards 301 may be fixed withina unit or cabinet, and cell boards (such as those of FIGS. 2A and 2B)and switch cards (such as that of FIG. 3B described below) may beremovably coupled thereto. Thus, for instance, cell boards and/or switchcards may be removed for servicing/repair. In this example embodiment,interconnection card 301 is responsible for performing one-dimensional(“1D”) routing. More particularly, interconnection card 301 (and switchcard 351 of FIG. 3B) performs vertical (e.g., along the Y axis ofFIG. 1) routing of information (e.g., routing of information from one ofits connectors 302A-302H to another of such connectors 302A-302H and/orrouting information from one of such interconnection cards 301 toanother interconnection card as described with FIG. 6 below). The cellboards are implemented to include the capability of performinghorizontal routing (e.g., routing along the X and Z axes of FIG. 1).Thus, in this example embodiment, 3D routing is achieved, but 1D isperformed by the interconnection cards (and switch cards) and 2D isperformed by the cell boards, rather than being limited to 2D routingthat is performed entirely by an interconnection structure (such as withtraditional backplanes).

FIG. 3B shows an example switch card 351, which comprises connector 352for coupling with connector 304 of interconnection card 301 of FIG. 3A.Switch card 351 also comprises components 353A and 353B, which are ASICsor “cross-bar” chips (shown with heat sinks implemented thereon) formanaging switching between the various cell boards coupled tointerconnection card 301 (i.e., for managing vertical routing within acabinet). And, switch card 351 comprises cabinet-to-cabinet fabricconnectors 354A-354H to enable a plurality of cabinets to beinterconnected. Switch card 351 controls the communication between thecell boards coupled to interconnection card 301. That is, switch card351 arbitrates the routing of information between the cell boards. Whileinterconnection card 301 and switch card 351 are shown as separate cardsin this example, which may improve the serviceability of thearchitecture, in alternative implementations the functionality of thosetwo cards may be implemented as a single card.

Turning to FIG. 4, an example unit 400 is shown. In this examplearchitecture 400, a plurality of cell boards 221 of FIG. 2B areimplemented, shown as cell boards 221A-221H. As shown, each cell boardis coupled to a plurality of interconnection boards 301 of FIG. 3A,shown as interconnection boards 301A-301D. For instance, as can be seenfor circuit card 221A, its first connector 222A, is coupled to a firstinterconnection board 301A; its second connector 222B, is coupled to asecond interconnection board 301B; its third connector 222C, is coupledto a third interconnection board 301C; and its fourth connector 222D, iscoupled to a fourth interconnection board 301D. Thus, each cell board iscoupled to a plurality of different interconnection boards 301A-301D.Also, a switch card 351 of FIG. 3B is coupled to each interconnectionboard, wherein such switch cards are shown as switch cards 351A-351D.Alternating current (“AC”) to direct current (“DC”) power supplies(“front-end power supplies”) 401 are also included. Such AC to DC powersupplies 401 may, for example, convert 208 AC to 48 DC. Of course, anyother desired power conversion may be performed in alternativeimplementations.

Thus, the example unit of FIG. 4 comprises a plurality of cell boards (8in this implementation) that are communicatively interconnected.Further, it should be recognized that the above architecture enablesfront-to-back air flow, such as indicated by the arrows shown in FIG. 4.Thus, a mechanism (not shown), such as a fan or blower, may beimplemented in the example unit of FIG. 4 to generate a flow of airdirected toward the interconnection structure (e.g., front-to-back airflow), and the interconnection structure (e.g., interconnection boards301A-301D and switch cards 351A-351D) permits the generated air flow topass through it. It should also be recognized that the architecture ofFIG. 4 provides a dense arrangement of cell boards, thus providing aspace-efficient architecture, while also allowing the cell boards to beaccessed from the front of the architecture (which eases servicing thecell boards).

Additionally, the example architecture 400 of FIG. 4 is readilyexpandable. For instance, as shown in FIGS. 5A-5B, a plurality of theunits may be interconnected (e.g., in a stacked arrangement) to form alarger overall system. FIGS. 5A-5B show an example in which 4 units ofFIG. 4, shown as units 400A-400D, are interconnected to form cabinet 500comprising a total of 32 cell boards. FIG. 5A shows an isometric view ofthe example arrangement from the front showing the front, right, and topsides thereof. FIG. 5B shows an isometric view of the examplearrangement from the back showing the back, left, and top sides thereof.The units 400A-400D are interconnected, thus enabling all of the cellboards of system 500 to be communicatively interconnected.

More particularly, as described above, the interconnection cards of FIG.3A enable interconnection of a plurality of units within a cabinet (viaconnectors 303A-303F shown in FIG. 3A). FIG. 6 shows an example of aplurality of interconnection cards being interconnected (e.g., as in theexample cabinet of FIG. 5B). More specifically, interconnection card 301₁ having switch card 351 ₁ coupled thereto is implemented within a firstunit 400A; interconnection card 301 ₂ having switch card 351 ₂ coupledthereto is implemented within a second unit 400B; interconnection card301 ₃ having switch card 351 ₃ coupled thereto is implemented within athird unit 400C; and interconnection card 301 ₄ having switch card 351 ₄coupled thereto is implemented within a fourth unit 400D. Eachinterconnection card is communicatively coupled to each of the otherinterconnection cards. For instance, in this example, fiber optic cablesare used to couple the interconnection cards (of course, other couplingtechniques, such as copper wires or flex connectors may be used inalternative configurations). For example, interconnection card 301 ₁ hasa fiber optic cable coupling from its connector 303D (see FIG. 3A) toconnector 303D of interconnection card 301 ₂; interconnection card 301 ₁has a fiber optic cable coupling from its connector 303E (see FIG. 3A)to connector 303E of interconnection card 301 ₃; and interconnectioncard 301 ₁ has a fiber optic cable coupling from its connector 303F (seeFIG. 3A) to connector 303F of interconnection card 301 ₄. The otherinterconnection cards are likewise coupled to each of theinterconnection cards in a column of the cabinet's architecture in thisexample. The interconnection between cards 301 ₃ and 301 ₄ are shownenlarged in the inset portion of FIG. 6. Accordingly, vertical routingof information may be performed (under the management of switch cards351) by an interconnected column of interconnection cards 301, andhorizontal routing of information may be performed by a cell boarditself.

Turning now to FIGS. 7-10C, another example embodiment of a 3D cellboard interconnection architecture is shown. FIG. 7 shows an examplecell board 701 that comprises components 703A, 703B, 703C, 704A, 704B,705, and 706 implemented thereon, which correspond, for example, tocomponents 203A, 203B, 203C, 204A, 204B, 205, and 206 of cell board 201of FIG. 2A described above. As with FIG. 2A, the components of cellboard 701 are arranged to enable optimal air flow in the front-to-backdirection. Cell board 701 also comprises connectors 702A, 702B, 702C,and 702D for coupling to an interconnection structure as describedfurther below. As opposed to the orthogonal connectors used in theexample cell board configurations of FIGS. 2A-2B, connectors 702A-702Dare connectors as are traditionally used for coupling to a backplane,such as the HMZD connector available from Tyco Electronics.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show an example interconnection structure 800 that maybe utilized for interconnecting a plurality of cell boards, such as cellboard 701 of FIG. 7. FIG. 8A shows the front side of structure 800 andFIG. 8B shows its back side. Example interconnection structure 800effectively provides a porous backplane for interconnecting a pluralityof cell boards, which allows for front-to-back air flow. In thisexample, interconnection structure 800 comprises vertical columns 801A,801B, 801C, and 801D of connectors. The four columns 801A-801D arestructurally coupled together in this example implementation viahorizontal cross members, such as cross member 802, to form a matrixstructure. Of course, in other implementations, the columns 801A-801D ofconnectors may be separate columns that are not structurally coupledtogether, and such columns may be arranged together to provide aninterconnection structure in the manner described below.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the front-facing side of columns 801A-801Dcomprises connectors for coupling to cell boards, such as cell board 701of FIG. 7. For instance, column 801A comprises eight connectors in thisexample, including connector 803 for coupling to a connector of a cellboard. The back-facing side of columns 801A-801D (FIG. 8B) comprisesconnectors for coupling to switch cards, such as the switch carddescribed below in FIG. 9. For instance, the back side of column 801Acomprises four connectors in this example, including connector 806 forcoupling to a connector of a switch card.

In this example implementation, interconnection structure 800essentially provides an interface for cell boards and switch cards to becoupled thereto. That is, interconnection structure 800 passesinformation received from a connector to its front side to a connectoron its back side (and vice-versa). For instance, interconnectionstructure 800 passes information between its connector 803 (which iscoupled to a cell board connector) and connector 806 (which is coupledto a switch card connector, such as a connector of the switch card ofFIG. 9 described below).

As shown in FIG. 8A, columns 801A-801D and the horizontal cross membersconnecting such columns are arranged to allow pores (or apertures)through which air may flow. For instance, apertures 805A and 805B arespecifically labeled in FIG. 8A, and permit front-to-back airflowtherethrough, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 8A. In this exampleimplementation, projections, such as projection 804, are included oneach column to aid in reducing the resistance to the front-to-back airflow by directing the air to the apertures. This interconnectionstructure provides a reference plane to reduce tolerancing issues. Thisinterconnection structure may be produced very inexpensively. Suchinterconnection structure 800 provides the 90 degree rotation in thisexample, rather than performing that rotation in an orthogonal connector(such as in the example cell board configurations of FIGS. 2A-2B).

Turning to FIG. 9, an example switch card 900 that may be utilized inthis example embodiment is shown. Switch card 900 comprises connectors901A, 901B, 901C, and 901D for coupling to the connectors on theback-side of a column of interconnection structure 800 described above,such as connector 806. Switch card 900 also comprises components 902Aand 902B, which are ASICs or “cross-bar” chips (shown with heat sinksimplemented thereon) for managing switching between the various cellboards coupled to interconnection structure 800. Thus, as with switchcard 351 of FIG. 3B, switch card 900 controls the communication betweenthe cell boards 701 coupled to interconnection structure 800. That is,switch card 900 arbitrates the routing of information between the cellboards. And, switch card 351 comprises cabinet-to-cabinet fabricconnectors 903A-903L to enable a plurality of cabinets to beinterconnected. In certain implementations, some of such connectors903A-903L may be used for I/O connections. Further, switch card 900includes connector(s) 904 for coupling such switch card 900 to anotherswitch card within a cabinet, as shown below in the example of FIG. 10B.Thus, in this example embodiment, horizontal routing is performed by thecell boards 701 (i.e., routing from one component on a cell board 701 toanother component on such cell board 701), and the vertical routing(i.e., routing from one cell board to another cell board) is performedby switch 900. Interconnection structure 800 provides a pass-throughstructure for interconnecting the cell boards 701 and the switch cards900. Such interconnection structure 800 provides a reference plane forconnecting the cell boards 701 and switch cards 900 to minimizetolerancing issues.

Turning now to FIG. 10A, an example of a cell board 701 (of FIG. 7)being coupled to interconnection structure 800 (of FIGS. 8A-8B) isshown. As shown, cell board 701 connects to a plurality of differentcolumns 801A-801D of interconnection structure 800. More specifically,connector 702A of cell board 701 connects to a connector of column 801D;connector 702B of cell board 701 connects to a connector of column 801C; connector 702C of cell board 701 connects to a connector of column801B; and connector 702D of cell board 701 connects to a connector ofcolumn 801A. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 10A, front-to-back air flowis permitted by this arrangement.

FIG. 10B shows an example unit 1000 that is formed by combining aplurality of the cell boards 701 of FIG. 7 interconnected via aplurality of the interconnection structures 800 of FIGS. 8A-8B and aplurality of the switch cards 900 of FIG. 9. In this examplearchitecture 1000, a plurality of interconnection structures of FIGS.8A-8B are implemented, shown as interconnection structures 800A, 800B,800C, and 800D (not clearly seen in FIG. 10B).

FIG. 10C shows the backside of unit 1000 of FIG. 10B, which illustratesthat connectors 904E of switch card 900E and connectors 904F of switchcard 900F are coupled to connectors 1051 and 1052, respectively, ofswitch card connector card 1050. Such switch card connector card 1050enables routing of information from switch card 900E to switch card 900Fand vice-versa. Of course, rather than being implemented as a separatecard, in certain implementations the connectors of switch card connector1050 may be included on interconnection structure 800. That is,interconnection structure 800 may be implemented as including structures800B and 800C, as well as switch card interconnector 1050 of FIG. 10C.

In this example, each of interconnection structures 800A-800D is capableof receiving eight (8) cell boards 701, thus enabling a total of 32 cellboards to be included in unit 1000. For instance, eight cell boards 701labeled 1021 are coupled to interconnection structure 800A; eight cellboards 701 labeled 1022 are coupled to interconnection structure 800B;eight cell boards 701 labeled 1023 are coupled to interconnectionstructure 800C; and eight cell boards 701 labeled 1024 are coupled tointerconnection structure 800D (not clearly shown in FIG. 10B). Coupledto the back-side of the interconnection structures are switch cards ofFIG. 9, such as switch cards 900A, 900B, and 900C (additional switchcards may be coupled to the back-side of the interconnection structures,but cannot be clearly seen in FIG. 10B).

Also, in various implementations, a coupling between cell boards 1021and 1022 may be provided either with cables that interconnect the switchcards 900 or with one monolithic panel across the top, or with flexconnectors between interconnection structures 800A and 800B, asexamples. Alternatively, interconnection structures 800A and 800B may becombined as a single interconnect structure, or interconnectionstructures 800A-800D may all be combined into a single interconnectstructure in certain embodiments.

FIG. 10D shows the unit 1000 of FIG. 10B arranged in a cabinet 1001. Itshould be recognized that this architecture allows for the cell boardsto be accessed from the front of cabinet 1001, while permittingfront-to-back air flow (as shown by the arrows). Thus, a plurality ofsuch cabinets 1001 may be arranged side-by-side without the exhaust fromone cabinet being ingested by another cabinet (because the air can flowfront-to-back in each cabinet). It should also be understood that aplurality of units 1000 may be coupled together within a cabinet, e.g.,in a stacked arrangement, such as in FIGS. 5A-5B of the previousembodiment.

FIG. 11 shows an example embodiment in which cell boards are arranged onopposing sides of an interconnection structure. More specifically, thisexample implementation shows cell boards 1022 that are coupled tointerconnection structure 800B in the manner shown above in FIG. 10B.Further, switch cards 900A-900D are coupled to the back-side of suchinterconnection structure 800B, as described above. In this example, asecond interconnection structure 800E is coupled to switch cards900A-900D on a side opposite the first interconnection structure 800B,and cell boards 1025 are coupled to such second interconnectionstructure 800E.

Switch cards 900A-900D are all redundant, but serviceability of theswitch cards may be more difficult in this architecture. Thus, incertain implementations, switch cards 900A-900D may be implemented aspassive cards and the cross-bar ASICs (if desired) may be included onthe cell boards. In certain implementations, cards 900A-900D may beimplemented as a simple interface and the routing logic may beimplemented on switch cards that are coupled to such cards 900A-900D(e.g., such switch cards may be coupled to the raised edges 1101 and/or1102 of cards 900A-900D). The arrangement of FIG. 11 enablesfront-to-back air flow, while allowing cell boards 1022 to be accessedfrom the front of the architecture and allowing cell boards 1025 to beaccessed from the back of the architecture.

Turning now to FIGS. 12A-16, another example embodiment of a 3D cellboard interconnection architecture is shown. FIGS. 12A-12B show anexample interconnection structure 1200 (e.g., a partial backplanestructure). FIG. 12A shows the front side of interconnection structure1200, and FIG. 12B shows the back side thereof. As shown in FIG. 12A,this example implementation of interconnection structure 1200 comprisesconnectors 1201A-1201H arranged on its front side for receiving cellboards coupled thereto, as described further below. As shown in FIG.12B, interconnection structure 1200 comprises connectors 1202A-1202Darranged on its back side for receiving switch cards coupled thereto, asalso described further below.

FIG. 13 shows an example implementation of a cell board 1300 that may becoupled to interconnection structure 1200 of FIGS. 12A-12B. This exampleimplementation of cell board 1300 comprises connectors 1301A and 1301Bfor coupling with connectors on the front-side of interconnectionstructure 1200. For example, connector 1301A may couple to connector1201A of interconnection structure 1200, and connector 1301B may coupleto connector 1201B of interconnection structure 1200. Cell board 1300comprises components 1303, which may comprise components such ascomponents 203A, 203B, 203C, 204A, 204B, 205, and 206 of cell board 201of FIG. 2A described above, for example. As with the example cell boardimplementations of FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 7, the components of cell board1300 are arranged to enable optimal air flow in the front-to-backdirection. Cell board 1300 also comprises power supplies (AC to DC powerconverters) 1304 and cooling fans 1305, which may generate a flow of airfrom front-to-back, as indicated by the arrows. In this exampleimplementation, cell board 1300 comprises porous back-cover 1302arranged around connectors 1301A and 1301B, wherein such porousback-cover 1302 permits the front-to-back air flow to exit therethrough.

Turning to FIGS. 14A-14C, an example unit 1400 is shown. FIG. 14A showsan isometric view of architecture 1400 from the front thereof, showingits front, top, and right sides. FIG. 14B shows an isometric view ofarchitecture 1400 from the back thereof, showing its back, top, and leftsides. FIG. 14C shows a planar view of architecture 1400 from its back,without the back-covers of the cell boards (shown as back-covers1302A-1302D in FIG. 14B) being included.

In this example architecture 1400, a plurality of cell boards 1300 ofFIG. 13 are implemented, shown as cell boards 1300A-1300D (see FIG.14A). As shown in FIG. 14B, each cell board is coupled tointerconnection structure 1200. For instance, with reference to FIGS.12A and 14A, cell board 1300A is coupled to connectors 1201A and 1201B;cell board 1300B is coupled to connectors 1201C and 1201D; cell board1300C is coupled to connectors 1201E and 1201F; and cell board 1300D iscoupled to connectors 1201G and 1201H. As shown in FIG. 14B, each cellboard comprises a porous back-cover that permits the front-to-back airflow to exit therethrough. More specifically, cell board 1300A comprisesporous back-cover 1302A; cell board 1300B comprises porous back-cover1302B; cell board 1300C comprises porous back-cover 1302C; and cellboard 1300D comprises porous back-cover 1302D.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 14C, wherein the architecture is shownwithout the back-covers on the cell boards, the upper cell boards 1300Aand 1300B are arranged upright, and the lower cell boards 1300C and1300D have an opposite orientation when connected to interconnectionstructure 1200, in this example implementation. In this manner, theupper cell boards 1300A and 1300B are arranged such that theirrespective components 1303A and 1303B protrude upward from the cellboard, and the lower cell boards 1300C and 1300D are arranged such thattheir respective components 1303C and 1303D protrude downward from thecell board. This arrangement aids in minimizing the resistance to thefront-to-back air flow presented by the components.

The example architecture 1400 of FIGS. 14A-14C is readily expandable.For instance, as shown in FIGS. 15-16, a plurality of the units may beinterconnected (e.g., in a stacked arrangement) to form a larger overallsystem. FIG. 15 shows an example in which two units of FIGS. 14A-14C,labeled 1400A and 1400B, are interconnected to form a larger unit 1500comprising a total of 8 cell boards. FIG. 15 shows an isometric view ofthe example arrangement from the back, showing its back, top, and leftsides. As shown, two interconnection structures of FIGS. 12A-12B areincluded, shown as interconnection structures 1200A and 1200B. Four cellboards comprising group 1400A are connected to interconnection structure1200A, and four cell boards comprising group 1400B are connected tointerconnection structure 1200B.

Also included in unit 1500 are switch cards 1501A-1501D. In this exampleimplementation, horizontal routing (e.g., between any of connectors1201A-1201H) of interconnection structure 1200 is performed byinterconnection structure 1200. Vertical routing (e.g., routing betweena cell board coupled to interconnection structure 1200A and a cell boardcoupled to interconnection structure 1200B of FIG. 15), on the otherhand, is performed by switch cards 1501A-1501D.

FIG. 16 shows an example in which 4 of the units 1500 of FIG. 15, shownas units 1500A-1500D, are interconnected to form cabinet 1600 comprisinga total of 32 cell boards. FIG. 16 shows an isometric view of theexample arrangement from the front, showing the cabinet's front, top,and right sides. The units 1500A-1500D are interconnected, thus enablingall of the cell boards of cabinet 1600 to be communicativelyinterconnected.

FIGS. 17-20 show another example embodiment of a 3D cell boardinterconnection architecture. FIG. 17 shows an example cell board 1701that comprises components 1703A, 1703B, 1703C, 1704A, 1704B, 1705, and1706 implemented thereon, which correspond, for example, to components703A, 703B, 703C, 704A, 704B, 705, and 706 of cell board 701 of FIG. 7described above. As with FIG. 7, the components of cell board 1701 arearranged to enable optimal air flow in the front-to-back direction. Cellboard 1701 also comprises connectors 1702A-1702G for coupling to aninterconnection structure as described further below. As with theconnectors of FIG. 7, connectors 1702A-1702G are connectors as aretraditionally used for coupling to a backplane, such as the HMZDconnector available from Tyco Electronics.

FIGS. 18A and 18B show an example interconnection structure 1800 thatmay be utilized for interconnecting a plurality of cell boards, such ascell board 1701 of FIG. 17. As shown in FIG. 18A, exampleinterconnection structure 1800 includes edge connectors 1801A-1801G(referred to collectively as connectors 1801) for coupling to a cellboard 1701. That is, edge connectors 1801A-1801G are complementaryconnectors for coupling with connectors 1702A-1702G of a first cellboard 1701. Further, interconnection structure 1800 includes threeadditional sets of edge connectors, shown as connectors 1802A-1802G(referred to collectively as connectors 1802), 1803A-1803G (referred tocollectively as connectors 1803), and 1804A-1804G (referred tocollectively as connectors 1804), that are each for similarly receivinga cell board 1701. Accordingly, as discussed further below in connectionwith FIG. 20, a first cell board 1701 may be coupled to connectors 1801,a second cell board 1701 may be coupled to connectors 1802, a third cellboard 1701 may be coupled to connectors 1803, and a fourth cell board1701 may be coupled to connectors 1804, thereby resulting in ahorizontal plane of interconnected cell boards.

As further shown in FIG. 18A, interconnection structure 1800 includesedge connectors for coupling with switch cards, such as the switch card1900 discussed hereafter in connection with FIGS. 19A-19C. Morespecifically, interconnection structure 1800 includes connectors1805A-1805D for coupling with a first switch card, connectors1806A-1806D for coupling to a second switch card, connectors 1807A-1807Dfor coupling to a third switch card, and connectors 1808A-1808D forcoupling to a fourth switch card.

FIG. 18B shows an example of the routing provided by interconnectionstructure 1800. More specifically, FIG. 18B shows an example of therouting provided by structure 1800 for a first cell board 1701 that iscoupled to structure 1800 via connectors 1801. As shown, structure 1800is capable of routing data from a cell board 1701 to any one of theswitch cards 1900 that are coupled to structure 1800. That is,interconnection structure 1800 is capable of routing data between a cellboard coupled to connectors 1801 and any one of the switch-cardinterfaces (or connectors) 1805, 1806, 1807, and 1808.

Turning to FIGS. 19A-19C, an example switch card 1900 that may beutilized in this example embodiment is shown. FIG. 19A shows one side ofswitch card 1900 and FIG. 19B shows an opposite side of switch card1900, while FIG. 19C shows an example of the routing provided by thisexample switch card 1900. As shown in FIG. 19A, switch card 1900comprises connectors 1901A-1901H that are each capable of coupling to aset of switch-card connectors of interconnection structure 1800described above, such as connectors 1805A-1805D. Thus, for example,switch-card connectors 1805A-1805D of structure 1800 (FIG. 18A) may becoupled to connector 1901A of switch card 1900.

As shown in FIG. 19B, switch card 1900 also comprises connectors1902A-1902H, which are cabinet-to-cabinet fabric connectors, such as theconnectors 903A-903L in the switch card 900 of FIG. 9 to enable aplurality of cabinets to be interconnected. Connectors 1902A-1902H maybe implemented as copper wires or as optical cables, as examples. Incertain implementations, some of such connectors 1902A-1902H may be usedfor I/O connections. Switch card 1900 also comprises components1903A-1903H, which are ASICs or “cross-bar” chips (shown with heat sinksimplemented thereon) for managing switching between the various cellboards 1701 coupled to interconnection structure(s) 1800 that arecoupled to switch card 1900. Thus, as with switch card 900 of FIG. 9,switch card 1900 controls the communication between the cell boards 1701coupled to interconnection structure 1800. That is, switch card 1900arbitrates the routing of information between the cell boards 1701.

FIG. 19C shows an example of the routing provided by switch card 1900.More specifically, FIG. 19C shows an example of the routing provided byswitch card 1900 for a first interconnection structure 1800 that iscoupled to switch 1900 via connector 1901. In this example, connectors1805A-1805D of interconnection structure 1800 (FIG. 18A) are coupled toconnectors 1901A of switch card 1900. As shown, switch card 1900 iscapable of routing data from a first interconnection structure 1800 toanother interconnection structure 1800 that is coupled to switch card1900. For instance, ASICs 1903A and 1903B are operable to route datafrom connectors 1805A-1805D of a first interconnection structure 1800that are coupled to connectors 1901A to a second interconnectionstructure 1800 that is coupled to connectors 1901B of switch card 1900.Further, ASIC 1903A is capable of routing data to ASIC 1903C, 1903E, and1903G, which are capable of routing such data to other interconnectionstructures 1800 that are coupled to connectors 1901C-1901H.

Thus, in this example embodiment, horizontal routing is performed by thecell boards 1701 (e.g., routing from one component on a cell board 1701to another component on such cell board 1701), and the vertical routing(i.e., routing from one cell board to another cell board) is performedby switch 1900. Additionally, horizontal routing between different cellboards on a horizontal plane (e.g., a plane formed by multiple cellboards 1701 that are connected to a common interconnection structure1800 is provided via such interconnection structure 1800, while routingbetween different horizontal planes is provided by switch card(s) 1900,as described further below in connection with FIG. 20.

While the horizontal routing between cell boards on a common horizontalplane (i.e., coupled to a common interconnection structure), such asbetween a first cell board 1701 coupled to connectors 1801 and a secondcell board 1701 coupled to connectors 1802, is performed byinterconnection structure 1800 in this example, in certainimplementations this horizontal routing may be supported by switchcard(s) 1900. For instance, in certain implementations, rather thaninterconnection structure 1800 providing routing between different cellboards coupled thereto, it may route all communication to a switch card1900, which then routes the communication to the to the proper cellboard (even if the cell boards are on a common horizontal plane). Forexample, interconnection structure 1800 may provide communication pathsfrom each set of cell board connectors 1801-1804 to switch cardconnectors 1805-1808, such as shown in the example of FIG. 18B forconnectors 1801. Suppose data is received (from a cell board 1701) atcell board connectors 1801 and is destined to another cell boardconnector of the same interconnection structure, such as connectors1802; in an example implementation in which routing between differentcell boards of a common horizontal plane is performed through the switchcards, the received data is routed from connectors 1801 to a switch card(e.g., via a switch card connector, such as connectors 1807, which inturn routes the data to cell board connectors 1802 via the communicationpath between the switch card connector (1807) and such cell boardconnectors 1802. Of course, in certain implementations communicationpaths between each of cell board connectors 1801-1804 may be included oninterconnection structure 1800 such that interconnection structure 1800is capable of routing data between any of the cell boards coupledthereto (e.g., between any cell boards of this horizontal plane) withoutrequiring routing of the data to the switch cards.

Turning now to FIG. 20, an example unit 2000 that is formed by combininga plurality of the cell boards 1701 of FIG. 17 interconnected via aplurality of the interconnection structures 1800 of FIGS. 18A-18B and aplurality of the switch cards 1900 of FIGS. 19A-19C is shown. In thisexample architecture 2000, eight (8) separate interconnection structures1800 of FIGS. 18A-18B are implemented, a first of which labeled as 1800_(A) can be seen. Each of the interconnection structures 1800 arecoupled to switch cards 1900 _(A)-1900 _(D) (wherein 1900 _(C) and 1900_(D) are not seen in FIG. 20). Further, four cell boards are coupled toeach of the interconnection structures 1800, each forming a horizontalplane of interconnected cell boards (for a total of eight horizontalplanes in this example). For instance, cell boards 1701 _(A)-1701 _(D)are coupled to a first interconnection structure 1800 _(A), forming afirst horizontal plane of cell boards. Similarly, cell boards 1701_(E)-1701 _(G) and another cell board (not seen in FIG. 20) are coupledto a second interconnection structure 1800 (not seen in FIG. 20),forming a second horizontal plane of cell boards. In total, this exampleunit 2000 provides interconnection of a 4 by 8 arrangement of cellboards, thus allowing interconnection of 32 cell boards 1701.

Of course, while interconnection structure 1800 in this example allowsfor up to 4 cell boards to be connected thereto, in otherimplementations such interconnection structure 1800 may be implementedto permit any number of cell boards to be coupled thereto. For instance,while this example implementation provides for two cell boards to becoupled to opposing sides of interconnection structure 1800, in otherimplementations a different number of cell boards (e.g., greater than orless than two) may be allowed for on the opposing sides ofinterconnection structure 1800. For example, in certain implementations,cell board connectors may be included on interconnection structure 1800for coupling four cell boards thereto on each opposing side, thusallowing for a horizontal plane of eight (8) interconnected cell boards.Further, while the example unit 2000 of FIG. 20 has eight (8) horizontalplanes of cell boards, in other implementations such a unit may beimplemented to have any number of horizontal planes (and switch cards1900 may be adapted to account for any such number of horizontalplanes).

Further, as with the example embodiment of FIGS. 10A-10D, a plurality ofsuch units 2000 may be communicatively interconnected (e.g., within acabinet) via fabric connectors 1902A-1902H (FIG. 19B) of switch cards1900. Alternatively, in certain embodiments, switch cards 1900 may beimplemented to span a plurality of units 2000, and such switch cards1900 thereby interconnect the plurality of units. For instance, a firstswitch card may be available for use in connecting up to eighthorizontal planes of cell boards together, and a second, larger, switchcard may be available for use in place of the first switch card toenable two units (e.g., 16 horizontal planes of cell boards) to beinterconnected when so desired. Additionally, a plurality of cabinetsmay be communicatively interconnected with each other via fabricconnectors 1902A-1902H. Thus, this provides a modular architecture thatcan be readily expanded to implement larger-scale systems as desired.Additionally, this example architecture also permits front-to-back airflow (as shown by the arrows in FIG. 20).

In the example interconnection architecture of FIG. 20, a plurality ofhorizontal planes of interconnected cell boards are provided, whereineach horizontal plane includes a plurality of cell boards interconnectedvia an interconnection structure 1800. Each interconnection structure1800 supports the horizontal routing within its respective horizontalplane (e.g., routing along axes X and Z of FIG. 1) to enable cell boardswithin a common horizontal plane to communicate with each other.Additionally, a plurality of different interconnection structures arecoupled to one or more switch cards 1900 (e.g., switch cards 1900_(A)-1900 _(D) in the example of FIG. 20). The switch cards 1900 span aplurality of different horizontal planes, thereby communicativelyinterconnecting different horizontal planes. That is, switch cards 1900provide the vertical routing (along axis Y of FIG. 1) for thearchitecture.

FIGS. 21A-26 provide various other example 3D interconnectionarchitectures that may be implemented for interconnecting cell boardsfor forming a desired computer system. FIG. 21A shows an example 3Dinterconnection structure 2100 that includes switch board 2101 to whicha plurality of cell board interconnect structures 2102 and 2103 arecoupled. Each interconnect structure is capable of coupling to at leastone cell board. For instance, cell board connectors 2104 are shown forone interconnection structure and cell board connectors 2105 are shownfor another interconnection structure of FIG. 21A. In variousalternative implementations, the switching logic (such as logic1903A-1903G in the example of FIG. 19C) may be included on either switchcard 2101 or on interconnection structures 2102 and 2103. That is, incertain implementations, structure 2101 may be implemented as a passiveinterconnect board, while structures 2102 and 2103 are implemented asswitch cards. To minimize the number of connections and routingcomplexity, structure 2101 is preferably implemented as a switch cardwhile structures 2102 and 2103 are implemented as cell boardinterconnect structures, wherein such switch card 2101 is operable toroute data between different ones of the interconnect structures 2102and 2103.

FIG. 21B shows another example 3D interconnection structure 2120 thatincludes switch board 2121 to which a plurality of cell boardinterconnect structures 2122 are coupled. Each interconnect structure iscapable of coupling to at least one cell board. For instance, cell boardconnectors 2123 are shown for one interconnection structure of FIG. 21B.The example architecture of FIG. 21B is similar to the architecture ofFIG. 21A, wherein switch board 2121 is analogous to switch board 2101and interconnection structures 2122 are analogous to interconnectionstructures 2103.

FIG. 21C shows another example 3D interconnection structure 2130 thatincludes switch boards 2131A and 2131B to which a plurality of cellboard interconnect structures 22132 are coupled. Each interconnectstructure is capable of coupling to at least one cell board. Forinstance, cell board connectors 2133 and 2134 are shown for coupling twocell boards to one interconnection structure of FIG. 21A. In variousalternative implementations, the switching logic (such as logic1903A-1903G in the example of FIG. 19C) may be included on either switchcards 2131A and 2131B or on interconnection structures 2132. Preferably,in the example architecture of FIG. 21C, switch cards 2131A and 2131Binclude the appropriate switching logic for routing data betweendifferent ones of the interconnect structures 2132.

FIG. 22 shows an example of utilizing the architecture 2100 of FIG. 21Afor interconnecting a plurality of cell boards 2201. As shown, a firstcell board 2201 _(A) is coupled to interconnect structures 2102 _(A) and2103 _(A). More specifically, connectors 2203 of cell board 2201 _(A)couple to connectors 2104 of interconnect structure 2102 _(A), andconnectors 2202 of cell board 2201 _(A) couple to connectors 2105 ofinterconnect structure 2103 _(A). In this example, switch card 2101includes switching logic for routing data between any of theinterconnect structures 2102 and 2103, thereby communicativelyinterconnecting the plurality of cell boards 2201. As shown, thisexample architecture permits front-to-back air flow, and the cell boardsmay be accessed (for service) in a common direction with the air flow(i.e., front-to-back).

FIG. 23 shows an example of utilizing the architecture 2120 of FIG. 21Bfor interconnecting a plurality of cell boards 2301. In this example,two of the 3D interconnection architectures are utilized, shown asarchitectures 2120A and 2120B. As shown, each cell board is coupled toboth interconnection architectures 2120A and 2120B. For instance, afirst cell board 2301 _(A) is coupled to interconnect structure 2122A ofarchitecture 2120A and to interconnect structure 2122B of architecture2120B. More specifically, connectors 2303 of cell board 2301 _(A) coupleto connectors 2123A of interconnect structure 2122 _(A), and connectors2302 of cell board 2301 _(A) couple to connectors 2123B of interconnectstructure 2122 _(B). In this example, switch cards 2121A and 2121B eachinclude switching logic for routing data between any of the plurality ofcell boards 2301. As with the example of FIG. 22, this examplearchitecture permits front-to-back air flow, and the cell boards may beaccessed (for service) in a common direction with the air flow (i.e.,front-to-back). Further, this example provides redundancy in that if oneof switch cards 2121A and 2120B fails, the interconnection of cellboards 2301 is maintained. For instance, architecture 2120A may beserviced while architecture 2120B maintains communicativeinterconnection of the cell boards 2301. Accordingly, architecture 2120Amay be serviced without requiring that the system be shut down.

FIG. 24 shows an example of utilizing the architecture 2130 of FIG. 21Cfor interconnecting a plurality of cell boards 2401. As shown, each cellboard is coupled to an interconnection structure. For instance, a firstcell board 2401 _(A) is coupled to a first interconnect structure 2132_(A), which is coupled to both switch cards 2131A and 2131B. Morespecifically, connectors 2403 of cell board 2401 _(A) couple toconnectors 2134 of interconnect structure 2132 _(A), and connectors 2402of cell board 2401 _(A) couple to connectors 2133 of interconnectstructure 2132 _(A). In this example, switch cards 2131A and 2131Binclude switching logic for routing data between any of the interconnectstructures 2132, thereby communicatively interconnecting the pluralityof cell boards 2401. As shown, this example architecture permitsfront-to-back air flow, and the cell boards may be accessed (forservice) in a common direction with the air flow (i.e., front-to-back).Additionally, this example provides redundancy in that if one of switchcards 2131A and 2131B fails, the interconnection of cell boards 2401 ismaintained. While the example of FIG. 24 shows one cell board coupled toeach interconnect structure, such as cell board 2401A connected tointerconnect structure 2132A, in other implementations a plurality ofcell boards may be coupled to each interconnect structure, such as withthe example interconnect structure 1800 of FIGS. 18A-18B discussedabove.

Turning to FIG. 25, an example cabinet 2500 that may be formed utilizingthe interconnection architectures of FIGS. 21A and 21B is shown. In thisexample, interconnection architectures 2100 of FIG. 21A are used tostraddle between different cell boards. That is, a first set of cellboards connect to the interconnection structures 2102 and a second setof cell boards connect to the interconnection structures 2103 ofarchitecture 2100.

More specifically, in the example of FIG. 25, a first interconnectionstructure 2120A (of FIG. 21B) connects to a first set of cell boards2501. That is, each cell board of set 2501 connects to one ofinterconnection structures 2122A, which are each coupled to switch card2121A. For instance, cell board 2501A is coupled to a first one ofinterconnection structures 2122A via coupling of the cell board'sconnectors 2506 with the connectors 2123A.

The first set of cell boards 2501 also couple to interconnectionstructures 2102A of architecture 2100A (of FIG. 21A). That is, each cellboard of set 2501 connects to one of interconnection structures 2102A,which are each coupled to switch card 2101A. For instance, cell board2501A is coupled to a first one of interconnection structures 2102A viacoupling of the cell board's connectors 2507 with the connectors 2104A.A second set of cell boards 2502 couple to interconnection structures2103A of architecture 2100A. That is, each cell board of set 2502connects to one of interconnection structures 2103A, which are eachcoupled to switch card 2101A. For instance, cell board 2502A is coupledto a first one of interconnection structures 2103A via coupling of thecell board's connectors 2508 with the connectors 2105A. Thus,interconnection architecture 2100A straddles the first set of cellboards 2501 and the second set of cell boards 2502, which enablesinterconnection of such first and second sets of cell boards in a mannerthat minimizes cabling within cabinet 2500.

The second set of cell boards 2502 also couple to interconnectionstructures 2102B of architecture 2100B. That is, each cell board of set2502 connects to one of interconnection structures 2102B, which are eachcoupled to switch card 2101B. For instance, cell board 2502A is coupledto a first one of interconnection structures 2102B via coupling of thecell board's connectors 2509 with the connectors 2104B. A third set ofcell boards 2503 couple to interconnection structures 2103B ofarchitecture 2100B. That is, each cell board of set 2503 connects to oneof interconnection structures 2103B, which are each coupled to switchcard 2101B. For instance, cell board 2503A is coupled to a first one ofinterconnection structures 2103B via coupling of the cell board'sconnectors 2510 with the connectors 2105B. Thus, interconnectionarchitecture 2100B straddles the second set of cell boards 2502 and thethird set of cell boards 2503, which enables interconnection of suchsecond and third sets of cell boards in a manner that minimizes cablingwithin cabinet 2500.

The third set of cell boards 2503 also couple to interconnectionstructures 2102C of architecture 2100C. That is, each cell board of set2503 connects to one of interconnection structures 2102C, which are eachcoupled to switch card 2101C. For instance, cell board 2503A is coupledto a first one of interconnection structures 2102C via coupling of thecell board's connectors 2511 with the connectors 2104C. A fourth set ofcell boards 2504 couple to interconnection structures 2103C ofarchitecture 2100C. That is, each cell board of set 2504 connects to oneof interconnection structures 2103C, which are each coupled to switchcard 2101C. For instance, cell board 2504A is coupled to a first one ofinterconnection structures 2103C via coupling of the cell board'sconnectors 2512 with the connectors 2105C. Thus, interconnectionarchitecture 2100C straddles the third set of cell boards 2503 and thefourth set of cell boards 2504, which enables interconnection of suchthird and fourth sets of cell boards in a manner that minimizes cablingwithin cabinet 2500.

In this example, an interconnection architecture 2120B (of FIG. 21B)connects to the fourth set of cell boards 2504. That is, each cell boardof set 2504 connects to one of interconnection structures 2122B, whichare each coupled to switch card 2121B. For instance, cell board 2504A iscoupled to a first one of interconnection structures 2122B via couplingof the cell board's connectors 2513 with the connectors 2123B. Further,in this example, interconnection structure 2120A and 2120B are coupledtogether via coupling 2505 (e.g., cabling, such as a copper or fiberoptic wire), which provides redundancy. That is, by having the topinterconnection structure 2120A and the bottom interconnection structure2120B communicatively connected, an alternative route is provided forrouting data between the cell boards when one of the middle structureshas failed. For instance, suppose that interconnection structure 2100Ahas failed; in this case, data may be routed between the cell boards ofset 2501 and any of the other sets of cell boards via coupling 2505 (andin some instances, depending on the other cell board with which set 2501is communicating, one or more of the structures 2100B and 2100C). Thus,any one of structures 2120A, 2120B, 2100A, 2100B, and 2100C may beserviced/replaced without shutting down the system in this example, asan alternative route exists around each of the structures. Further, thisexample architecture permits front-to-back air flow, and the cell boardsmay be accessed (for service) in a common direction with the air flow(i.e., front-to-back).

As described above, FIG. 25 provides an example in which switch cardsare arranged straddled between different cell boards. For instance,switch card 2101A is arranged to communicatively straddle between afirst set 2501 of cell boards and a second set 2502 of cell boards,which are coupled to interconnection cards 2102A and 2103A,respectively. FIG. 26 provides an example cabinet 2600 in which switchcards are arranged staggered relative to each other.

More specifically, the example implementation of FIG. 26 communicativelyinterconnects 32 cell boards (shown as cell boards 2602 ₁-2602 ₃₂). Ofcourse, in other implementations any number of cell boards may beinterconnected in this manner. As shown, each cell board connects to twointerconnection structures, which in turn each connect to a separateswitch card. For instance, cell board 2602 ₁ connects to interconnectionstructure 2122 ₁, which is connected to switch card 2121A, and cellboard 2602 ₁ also connects to interconnection structure 2121 ₃₃, whichis connected to switch card 2121F. As can be seen, this example utilizesthe example structures of FIG. 21B, wherein each cell board connects totwo of such structures, an upper and a lower structure. The switch cardsof the upper and lower structures are staggered, as discussed furtherbelow.

The upper structures in the example of FIG. 26 include switch cards2121A-2121E. Cell boards 2602 ₁-2602 ₃₂ are each communicatively coupledto switch cards 2121A-2121E via interconnection structures 2122 ₁-2122₃₂. The lower structures in the example of FIG. 26 include switch cards2121F-2121I. Cell boards 2602 ₁-2602 ₃₂ are each communicatively coupledto such switch cards 2121F-2121I via interconnection structures 2122₃₃-2122 ₆₄. Again, the switch cards of the upper and lower structuresare arranged staggered relative to each other in this example.

For instance, in this example implementation, switch card 2121A has fiveinterconnection structures, 2122 ₁-2122 ₅, coupled thereto, forcommunicatively coupling cell boards 2602 ₁-2602 ₅ to such switch card2121A. Switch card 2121B has eight interconnection structures, 2122₆-2122 ₁₃, coupled thereto, for communicatively coupling cell boards2602 ₆-2602 ₁₃ to such switch card 2121B. Similarly, switch card 2121Chas eight interconnection structures, 2122 ₁₄-2122 ₂₁, coupled thereto,for communicatively coupling cell boards 2602 ₁₄-2602 ₂₁ to such switchcard 2121C, and switch card 2121D has eight interconnection structures,2122 ₂₂-2122 ₂₉, coupled thereto, for communicatively coupling cellboards 2602 ₂₂-2602 ₂₉ to such switch card 2121D. Switch card 2121E hasthree interconnection structures, 2122 ₃₀-2122 ₃₂, coupled thereto, forcommunicatively coupling cell boards 2602 ₃₀-2602 ₃₂ to such switch card2121E.

The switch cards of the lower structure are arranged staggered relativeto the switch cards of the upper structure. For instance, switch cards2121F-2121I each have eight interconnection structures coupled thereto,for communicatively coupling cell boards to them. That is, switch card2121F has eight interconnection structures, 2122 ₃₃-2122 ₄₀, coupledthereto, for communicatively coupling cell boards 2602 ₁-2602 ₈ to suchswitch card 2121F; switch card 2121G has eight interconnectionstructures, 2122 ₄₁-2122 ₄₈, coupled thereto, for communicativelycoupling cell boards 2602 ₉-2602 ₁₆ to such switch card 2121G; switchcard 2121H has eight interconnection structures, 2122 ₄₉-2122 ₅₆,coupled thereto, for communicatively coupling cell boards 2602 ₁₇-2602₂₄ to such switch card 2121H; and switch card 2121I has eightinterconnection structures, 2122 ₅₇-2122 ₆₄, coupled thereto, forcommunicatively coupling cell boards 2602 ₂₅-2602 ₃₂ to such switch card2121I.

Thus, switch card 2121F overlaps (or is staggered) with switch cards2121A and 2121B. That is, switch card 2121F is communicatively coupledto cell boards 2602 ₁-2602 ₈, while cell boards 2602 ₁-2602 ₅ alsocouple to switch card 2121A and cell boards 2602 ₆-2602 ₈ also couple toswitch card 2121B. Further, in this example, switch cards 2121A and2121E are coupled together via coupling 2601 (e.g., cabling, such as acopper or fiber optic wire), which provides redundancy. That is, byhaving switch cards 2121A and 2121E communicatively connected, analternative route is provided for routing data between the cell boards2602 ₁-2602 ₃₂ when one of the switch cards 2121A-2121I has failed.Thus, redundancy is provided for enabling any one of cell boards 2602₁-2602 ₃₂ to communicate with any other of cell boards 2602 ₁-2602 ₃₂with any one of the switch cards 2121A-2121I having failed. Thus, anyone of switch cards 2121A-2121I may be serviced/replaced withoutshutting down the system in this example, as an alternative route existsaround each of the switch cards. Further, this example architecturepermits front-to-back air flow, and the cell boards may be accessed (forservice) in a common direction with the air flow (i.e., front-to-back).

1. A cell board interconnection architecture comprising: aninterconnection structure for interconnecting a plurality of cellboards, said interconnection structure configured to allow air to passtherethrough in the direction in which the cell boards couple therewith.2. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the cell boards couple to theinterconnection structure via a front-to-back interface, and wherein airflows through the interconnection structure in the front-to-backdirection.
 3. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the interconnectionstructure comprises a plurality of interconnect cards, and wherein theplurality of cell boards each couple to multiple ones of the pluralityof interconnect cards.
 4. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the cellboards and the interconnect cards are arranged orthogonal to each other.5. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the interconnection structurecomprises a matrix structure.
 6. The architecture of claim 1 furthercomprising a plurality of switch cards coupled to the interconnectionstructure, wherein the switch cards are operable to route informationbetween the plurality of cell boards.
 7. A cell board interconnectionarchitecture comprising: a plurality of cell boards; an interconnectionstructure to which said plurality of cell boards are coupled; and amechanism for generating a flow of air, wherein the interconnectionstructure is configured such that the generated air flow is permitted toflow through the interconnection structure.
 8. The architecture of claim7 wherein each of the plurality of cell boards includes: at least oneprocessor; and a memory subsystem for storing data.
 9. The architectureof claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of cell boards includes aplurality of processors.
 10. The architecture of claim 7 wherein each ofthe plurality of cell boards includes: a plurality of components; andlogic for routing data between the plurality of components.
 11. Thearchitecture of claim 7 wherein said interconnection structure comprisesa plurality of interconnection boards and wherein each cell boardconnects to multiple ones of said plurality of interconnection boards.12. A system comprising: a plurality of cell boards arranged in acabinet, wherein the plurality of cell boards are communicativelyinterconnected via an interconnection structure that permitsfront-to-back airflow and wherein the plurality of cell boards areaccessible via the front of the cabinet.
 13. The system of claim 12wherein each of the plurality of cell boards includes: a plurality ofcomponents and logic for managing routing of data between the pluralityof components.
 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the interconnectionstructure includes logic for managing routing of data between theplurality of cell boards.
 15. The system of claim 14 wherein theinterconnection structure includes at least one switch card.
 16. Thesystem of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of cell boards includesa plurality of processors and a memory subsystem.
 17. The system ofclaim 12 wherein each of the plurality of cell boards couple to theinterconnection structure via front-to-back movement of the cell boardsrelative to the cabinet.
 18. A computer system comprising: a cell boardinterconnection architecture for communicatively interconnecting aplurality of cell boards, wherein said architecture is configured tominimize resistance to air flow in a direction.
 19. The computer systemof claim 18 wherein the cell board interconnection architecturecomprises at least one interconnection card for communicativelyinterconnecting said plurality of cell boards.
 20. The computer systemof claim 19 wherein each of said at least one interconnection card isarranged to have its smallest surface area facing said direction. 21.The computer system of claim 20 wherein each of said plurality of cellboards are arranged to have their smallest surface area facing saiddirection.
 22. A cell board interconnection architecture comprising: aplurality of cell boards; and an interconnection structure thatcommunicatively interconnects the plurality of cell boards and allowsfor air flow in a direction parallel to service access of the pluralityof cell boards.
 23. The cell board interconnection architecture of claim22 wherein said interconnection structure enables front-to-back accessfor both air flow and service.
 24. A computer system comprising: aplurality of cell boards; and a porous interconnection structure forinterconnecting the plurality of cell boards such that air can flowthrough the interconnection structure.
 25. The computer system of claim24 wherein the air can flow through the porous interconnection structurein a direction parallel to a direction in which the cell boards coupleto the porous interconnection structure.
 26. The computer system ofclaim 24 wherein the porous interconnection structure comprises aplurality of interconnect cards, and wherein the plurality of cellboards each couple to multiple ones of the plurality of interconnectcards.
 27. The computer system of claim 24 further comprising aplurality of switch cards coupled to the porous interconnectionstructure, wherein the switch cards are operable to route informationbetween the plurality of cell boards.
 28. A multi-processor computersystem comprising: a plurality of cell boards that each include at leastone processor and logic for managing routing of data between componentsof the cell board; and an interconnection structure having a first sidecoupled to said plurality of cell boards and an opposite side coupled toat least one switch card, wherein at least one of said interconnectionstructure and said at least one switch card includes logic for managingrouting of data between the plurality of cell boards.
 29. Themulti-processor computer system of claim 28 wherein said plurality ofcell boards are arranged orthogonal to said interconnection structure.30. The multi-processor computer system of claim 28 wherein saidinterconnection structure is configured to enable air to flowtherethrough.
 31. The multi-processor computer system of claim 28wherein the interconnection structure comprises a plurality ofinterconnect cards, and wherein each of the plurality of cell boardscouples to multiple ones of the plurality of interconnect cards.
 32. Acomputer system comprising: a plurality of cell boards that each includea plurality of components and logic for managing routing of data betweenthe plurality of components; and an interconnection structure comprisinga plurality of interconnect cards, wherein each of the plurality of cellboards connects to multiple ones of the plurality of interconnect cardsthereby communicatively interconnecting the plurality of cell boards.33. The computer system of claim 32 wherein said interconnectionstructure includes logic for managing routing of data between theplurality of cell boards
 34. The computer system of claim 32 wherein theinterconnection structure comprises at least one switch card.
 35. Thecomputer system of claim 32 wherein the interconnection structure isadapted to allow air to flow therethrough.
 36. A system comprising: aplurality of cell boards; means for communicatively interconnecting theplurality of cell boards, wherein the interconnecting means comprises afirst plane for routing information in at least a first dimension and asecond plane that is orthogonal to the first plane for routinginformation in at least a second dimension that is different from saidfirst dimension.
 37. The system of claim 36 wherein each of saidplurality of cell boards includes at least one processor.
 38. The systemof claim 36 wherein the interconnecting means is configured to allow airto flow therethrough.
 39. The system of claim 38 wherein theinterconnecting means is configured to allow said air to flowtherethrough in a direction parallel to a direction in which theplurality of cell boards couple to the interconnecting means.